It is the set of factors related to the characteristics present in the food and factors present in the environment.

In each type of food, according to its characteristics, different barrier factors can be used.

Below, we will talk about some that can be used for bread:

– bread pH

The pH of the bread is an important control, as it is related to how efficiently the internal preservatives will act.

– Preservatives

Preservatives are a fundamental part in mold prevention, currently there are both internal and external preservatives.

The internal is added along with the other ingredients when working the dough and will act on possible contamination of raw materials and/or failures in good manufacturing practices.

The external ones, on the other hand, act against contamination caused after baking, in the areas of cooling and packaging and storage processes, in which particles containing fungal spores suspended in the air may deposit under the already baked bread.

– GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices

It is the set of mandatory and regulated measures by National Health Surveillance Agency that are adopted to guarantee the sanitary quality of food products.

It is always very important that all employees are trained and able to perform the good manufacturing practices implemented.

Some measures are important to improve air quality and restrict contamination in the bread industry, such as:

Avoiding product residue accumulation in machines, trays, slicers

Keeping floors, walls, ceilings clean, as well as any surface that comes in contact with the product

Keeping the flour handling areas separate from the cooling and packaging areas

– Packaging Conditions

Depending on the packaging material used, we may have a higher or lower risk of contamination; the more waterproof / resistant the packaging, the lower the risk of contamination.

– Modified Atmosphere

A system in which part of the oxygen is removed from the package and gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen are inserted, creating an atmosphere inside the package that does not favor microbial growth; and carbon dioxide gas also works as an antimicrobial. Most microorganisms present in bread require oxygen for their growth.

– Clean room

It is a controlled environment that is used to control the contamination of particles/microorganisms present in the air.

These are some tips to help you in your production. The more barriers combined, the greater the Shelf Life of your bread.

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